One-Pot Shrimp and Tomato Pulao
Updated September 24, 2025
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brett Regot.
- Ready In
- 1 hr
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
Advertisement
Ingredients
1 cup basmati rice
1 pound peeled, deveined large shrimp
1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chile powder (or other mild red chile powder)
¾ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ cup ghee or neutral cooking oil (such as vegetable or canola)
4 whole peppercorns
3 whole cloves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium yellow, white or red onion, thinly sliced
1 ½ tablespoons garlic paste or freshly grated garlic
2 to 3 Thai green chiles, chopped
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ cups chicken stock or water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice plus 3 lemon slices (from 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
52 grams carbs; 185 milligrams cholesterol; 473 calories; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 16 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 903 milligrams sodium; 31 grams protein; 6 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered by
Preparation
- Step 1
In a bowl, cover the rice with water and set aside to soak. In a bowl, combine the shrimp, chile powder and turmeric, tossing to coat the shrimp.
- Step 2
In a Dutch oven or other heavy pot, heat ghee on medium until melted, about 30 seconds. Stir in the peppercorns, cloves and cumin seeds. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to turn golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Step 3
Stir in the green chiles and cumin. Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 ½ teaspoons pepper, and stir some more. Continue cooking until the tomatoes start to become jammy and the oil separates from the tomato mixture, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Step 4
Stir in the seasoned shrimp, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, and continue cooking for a few minutes, until the shrimp start to turn pink.
- Step 5
Drain the rice, add it to the pot and stir to coat. Stir in the stock, lemon juice and lemon slices. Turn the heat up to high. Once the liquid is boiling, reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let the pulao rest, still covered, for 10 minutes.
- Step 6
Uncover and fluff the pulao with a serving spoon. Adjust seasoning to taste, and top with cilantro before serving.
Private Notes
Comments
Wow, was this good! I thought it was perfect the way it was, but I did like another commenter’s suggestion to use more tomatoes and lemon slices and I plan on making a version using those suggestions soon. I live on Cape Fear where we have access to fresh-caught shrimp for much of the year. The cooking method here did not cause the shrimp to become tough or otherwise less appealing. In fact I thought they were pretty perfect. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this recipe to anyone
There is a great New Yorker cartoon by Asher where two guys are in a kitchen, and one says to the other: "This recipe only takes 20 minutes, if you don't count the other time it takes." :)
How are the shrimp after that long cooking time?
I made a half batch. Five stars. Of course, I made some changes. I cut the amount of cumin seeds and ground cumin by half. I added two cardamom pods at the start before the onions. I added half a cinnamon stick, too. I did not have plum tomatoes, so I added eight cherry tomatoes. I added 1/8 tsp of cayenne instead of peppers. I also added 1/4 cup of frozen mixed-veg before the rice. Instead of adding the shrimp to the rice, I browned them separately i ghee, two minutes on each side. I’m sure this prep would work with chicken or scallops, too. This was a success and I will make it again. If you skip the shrimp, the rice itself is wonderful, too.
Incredibly easy recipe with equally incredible flavor. Made a mint raita thinking it’d need the lightness, but was not necessary.
This was really tasty and I plan to make it again. My only tip - other than not adding the shrimp until the water is boiling, as others have mentioned - is to wrap the pot lid in a clean kitchen towel when you let the rice stand off the heat at the end. That way the rice properly steams and gets fluffy rather than absorbing extra condensation and getting mushy.